Rocks and Rubble
by OddLittleBrit
Summary: Arthur's holding Merlin's head and the boy is growing weaker by the second. Now they're just sitting in the rubble waiting for death. Character death and magic reveal. feat. the knights!


**WARNINGS: Blood, character death, magic reveal**

**AN: I tried Merlin angst. I have no idea if it worked.**

The room fell silent as the last bandit fell to the floor, dead. Then Arthur grinned, the knights joining him one by one as they give themselves once overs - nothing worse than Gwaine's split lip. The mood lifted instantly as relief flooded them. They had thought the old house was abandoned, and it was, in their defence. But it was also the favourite of local bandits who preyed on people who believed just that. When the men had attacked, the knights and Arthur had been separated - Arthur had taken Merlin off to find a room that may have a fireplace they could utilise. The cold stone walls had been unfriendly, but the playful banter between master and manservant kept them cheerful. They had been peering behind a crumbling tapestry when they heard a yell, and the unmistakable clang of swords.

Arthur's head whipped around, hand already at his weapon. Merlin, weaponless, stood behind, worry clearly written on his face. Arthur took the few steps towards the doorway, slowly - being that the element of surprise was still on his side - but the sound of Gwaine groaning sped him up.

Long story short, with Arthur suddenly at their sides, a perfect distraction for the bandits, every last one of them was dealt with in a matter of minutes.

Arthur's grin spread as he took in his uninjured men's faces.

"Glad we're all good," he said, sheathing his sword. "We'd probably best do a sweep of the place though," he glanced towards Percival and Elyan, who nodded before Arthur even spoke. "The two of you? Good. Then Gwaine, Leon - you're with me, we'll go find that room, Merlin had-"

The prince stopped short. That was a good point, Merlin - where was he? Arthur sighed "Actually I have no idea where Merlin ended up, we'll go find him too. Probably hiding in a cupboard somewhere," he smirked. Though with Merlin's lanky self, folding himself into a cupboard didn't actually seem too far fetched.

The knights split up, and headed their respective ways. "We were just up here," Arthur commented as they walked, pointing towards the door of the room they had been in.

Something came over the three men at that moment. A sudden unease. Gwaine's hand skimmed his sword, as if reassuring himself it was there.

"Merlin?" Arthur called, pushing the door forward. "You can come out now."

The door fell open, but only a few inches before it thudded into something. Or more accurately, some_one_. Dressed much like the attackers from earlier, another bandit lay crumpled by the door, head wedged against the door. Something, it looked like a poker, protruded from the mans back; he had been leaving the room.

Arthur's stomach suddenly churned. "Merlin?!" Still, no reply. Gwaine swore, and Leon crouched and with mighty shove, shifted the body of the bandit across the floor. Through the now slightly wider gap, Arthur could only see the bare floor boards of the room. The tapestry in the corner was the only thing he could see, but the door blocked anything to the left. Where the man had been turned away from. Where Merlin must have thrown the poker. His heart thudding even more, Arthur put a hand onto Leon's arm to stop him, and then in one swing, knocked the door from it's hinges. It flew across the room, taking the bandit with it, and splintered as it crashed into the wall. The rotten wood was as weak as Arthur's knees became, as he tumbled into the room. Gwaine and Leon close behind him, his eyes landed on… a pile of rubble. Where the wall had been, there was now a gaping hole, and the clearing that lay behind the building was clearly visible. Brick and stone scattered under it, it had not been there a few minutes ago. Had the noise of battle been that distracting?

The three men silent, it was Gwaine who spoke first.

"You left Merlin in _here?_" he asked, and Arthur didn't remind him he was his superior. Instead, he sent Gwaine a look that said _well how was I supposed to know _and said in a low voice "He was right behind me."

"Obviously not," Gwaine replied, rasiing a hand to point out into the clearing. "They've probably taken him off somewhere now!" he said, his voice rising until it was almost a yell. Then from nowhere, a groan. A soft groan, but unquestionably, undoubtedly; Merlin's.

Three pairs of eyes were again on the rubble, where a rock tumbled down and landed by Arthur's feet.

"Merlin?" Arthur all but croaked.

Instantly, the knights and their prince were pulling away the rocks and bricks that trapped Merlin, and every second felt like he was slipping farther and farther away form them. His groans slowed, the gaps between them growing longer. Then away can a rock that covered an arm, bloody fingers curling from the sleeves of the familiar brown leather. Another rock freed Merlin's head, and his pale face, now dusty and scratched, fell forward, the young man hanging onto consciousness by a thread. Another brick freed his chest, it's unsteady rise prompting them to move faster. Arthur went to pull one of the largest rocks from Merlin's stomach, Leon holding the other end, ready to pull - but his servant's hand suddenly grasped his.

"Arth'r…" he mumbled, pulling at his prince's hand. He shook his head gently. "Don'… move it," he finished, and Arthur would have argued, only Leon had pulled his hand away, and it was covered in blood.

Merlin's eyes fluttered open properly, and he gave Arthur a weak imitation of his usual grin. His teeth were stained with blood too.

"M'bleeding out… huge hole in m'stomach," he said. "Gotta keep pressure on it, till… till," his head lulled forward again, and Arthur took his chin gently in hand, an arm wrapping behind his head as if to hold him like a child.

Arthur's stomach twisted again, and Leon rolled back on his feet, staring at the blood on his hands. Gwaine was completely still.

"Till what, Merlin?" Arthur asked, hoping that if he kept him talking, they could wait for Percival and Elyan to arrive, and then they could send someone for a physician, and they'd patch Merlin up and everything would be okay tomorrow.

Except there were tears falling from Gwaine's eyes, and Merlin was dribbling blood and Leon's hand were still covered in the blood of Arthur's _best friend. _

"Till… till we can… heal it…" he said, turning to look at Arthur and pressing his face into Arthur's sleeve. Arthur nodded, and Merlin swam in and out of focus as tears welled in his eyes. He blinked them away.

"Okay, what do we need to do that then?" he asked, expecting Merlin to ramble off a list of herbs. Merlin instead, snorted.

"Magic… a decent warlock," he breathed, looking into Arthur's eyes. "Someone who actually… knew healing spells…" he said with a smile. Arthur felt something tug at his mind, as if trying to tell him this was something important, there was a message in there. Only nothing was as important as Merlin right now. He let out a shaky laugh.

"Well if you know any, now might be a _really _good time to use one," he replied. Merlin nodded, and then with sudden energy, shoved at the rock on his stomach and sent it toppling. It tumbled to Leon's knees, and the man looked up in shock. Arthur's brows furrowed, and suddenly his heart heaved. A gaping hole had been an accurate description. It looked as though the bandit had ran Merlin through, and then twisted the knife, pulling at the sides until the wound stretched as wide as Arthur's palm. He laid his other hand over it, trembling slightly. Merlin wouldn't last five minutes. His voice caught as he scolded his servant (for the last time) "Merlin, stop it -what are you doing, you can't actuall-"

**_'Þurhhæle dolgbenn'_**

Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he waved a hand across Arthur's, and there was a faint warmth on Arthur's hand. But Merlin groaned, louder now, and more blood trickled through Arthur's fingers. His chest rose and for a few awful seconds, did nothing else. Then it fell, and he turned back to watch Arthur.

"… you have… magic?" he choked out. Merlin recoiled a little.

"I… yes. And I lied. But only to _save _you Arthur!" he gasped, hand flying to where Arthur's already was. It hurt so much.

"You… are destined to rule Camelot. To be… the best king… we have ever seen. I had… to keep you _safe…" _He lifted his hand to cup Arthur's cheek. He thought of every time he had knocked out a bandit or lit up a cave. He felt his magic ripple, pulsing through his veins with the last of his blood. Images flooded his mind, his whole life almost - before his eyes. He hoped it conveyed what words could not to Arthur, and Merlin felt his magic leave him with one last **thud **and his heart gave out.

Merlin's body went limp in Arthur's hands, and as Arthur was flooded by memories that did not belong to him, Gwaine gave an animalistic cry.


End file.
